Frame for agricultural machines.



VV. R. JONES` FRAME FOR AGRICULTURAL MACHINES.

APPLwA'l'mN FILED APR.1s,191s.

@Heine/13 y WILLIAM R. JONES, OF MARION, MICHIGAN.

FRAME FOB AGRICULTURAL MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 10, 1914.

Original application lcd Iarch 29, 1912, Serial No. 687,192. Divided andthis application filed April 18, 1913. Serial No. 762,159.

To all whom. it may concern Be it known that I, VILLIAM R. JONES, acitizen of the United States, residing at Marion. in the county ofOsceola and State of Michigan.I have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in `Frames for Agricultural Machines, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This application is a division of an application filed by me March 29,1912, Serial No. 687,192, and the object of the present invention is toprovide a frame for motordriven agricultural machines of such construction that it may be readily arranged to carry plows and othersoil-treating implements with means for adjusting the same or to supporta mower or other harvesting machines. l

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing and will behereinafter fully described, the novel features being particularlypointed out in the claims following the description.

The drawing shows a longitudinal verti cal section of a machine.embodying the invention.

The present invention comprises a supporting frame or truck consistingof upper and lower side bars 1 and 2 preferably formed of angle iron andconnected by said spaced uprights 3 to which are rigidly securedtransverse bars f1. The supporting frame or truck is provided with adetach able extension 5 on which are pivotally mounted the steeringwheels 6, said extension being provided with rearwardly inclined braces7 havin their upper ends connected to uprights 8 similar in constructionto the uprights 3, and lower side bars 9which form a continuation of thelower side'bars of the main frame of the truck when the machine is usedas a plow or grain drill.

J ournaled in suitable bearings on the side bars 2 of the truck or mainframe is a rear aXle- 10 on which are mounted traction wheels 11. Eachtraction wheel is provided with a sprocket'wheel12 over which extends asprocket driving chain 13 leading to a relatively small sprocket wheel14 mounted on a shaft 15 which is disposed transversely of the truck, aswill be readily understood. Resting on the lower side bars of the truckis a platform 16 having a seat 17 thereon and provided with an upwardlyand rearwardly extending plate 18 which forms a guard for the tractionwheels. An engine or other suitable motor 19 is also mounted on theplatform and the driving shaft 20 of the motor extends transversely ofthe truck and is connected with the shaft 15 by an",r convenient orperferred form of gearing whereby, when the driving shaft 20 is rotated,the traction wheels may be set in motion and the truck caused to travelforwardly or rearwardly. This gearing may also be provided with suitableclutches to that, if desired, the traction wheels may remain stationaryand the engine permitted to run free or be utilized to drive any desiredmachinery.

Arranged below the platform 20 are plows 21 preferably disposed instepped relation and each provided with a rearwardly extending arm 22,the lower end of which is pivotally attached to the adjacent plow beam23 and the upper end of which is pivotally connected at 24- to a shortlink 25 suspended from a transverse bar or rod 26 which is mounted uponthe truck frame 1n advance of the traction wheels. The links 25 arepivotally mounted on the rod or bar 26 and may be adjusted laterally ifso desired. Carried by the extension frame is a transverse draft bar 27to which are secured a plurality of hooks 28, each hook receiving adraft chain 29 leading to the adjacent plow beam, as shown.

It will be readily noted that by reason of the described pivotalconnections the plows are free to move forwardly and upwardly so as toconform to any irregularities in the surface over which the machine istravelin and they are also movable independently o each other so thatshould one plow strike an obstruction the other plows will not beaffected. This manner of suspending the plows, moreover, permits them topass over hilly or rolling ground and produce an even furrow of uniformdepth regardless of the surface contour of the soil.

Depending from each plow beam is a caster wheel 30 having its shankprovided with a plurality of openings through any one of which a pin orsimilar fastening devica maybe inserted into the plow beam so that thedepth of penetration of the plow point may be regulated at will.

As a means for raising and lowering the plows successively so as toleavev the ends of the furrows in transverse alinement at the oppositesides of a field, I provide a plurality of winding drums 31 rotatablymounted on a stationary shaft 32, and to each drum is secured the,adjacent end of a cord, chain or other flexible medium 33 which eX-tends down to and is fastened to the adjacent plow beam, as shown. Thestationary shaft 32 is rigidly secured to the uprights 5% of theextension frame, and disposed in a plane slightly below and in advanceof said shaft is a rotating shaft 34 which is journaled in suitablebrackets or other supports 35 ou the extension frame. Rigidly secured tothe said rotating shaft 34 is a series of wheels or pulleys over whicheX- teudendless belts 3G leading to and encircling the pulleys of theadjacent winding drums 31. Secured to one end of the shaft 34 is a beltpulley 37 over which extends a belt 33 which leads to and around asuitable -pulley on the driving shaft Q0 so that mo- .hanger 41 isdisposed below each pulley 40 and carries an idler 42 at its lower end,said yoke or hanger being provided with arms 43 which encircle the shaft34 on opposite sides of the adjacent pulley so that the idler 4Q may bemoved into and out of engagement with the belt 36. These yokes orhangers are carried by cords or chains 44 which extend over the pulleys40 and are attached respectivelyY to the upper ends of the several yokesor hangers and extend upwardly and rearwardly from the said pulleys 40to suitable guides on one of the transverse bars 4 of the main frame,the free ends of the saidcords depending from the said guides and beingequipped with rings 45 so that the said cords may he easily manipulatedfrom the seat 17. lt will be readily seen that bv pulling downwardlyupon any one ring 45 the cord attached thereto will be caused to liftthe yoke or hanger carried by its forward end so that the correspondingidler will be drawn against the adjacent belt which will thereby betightened so as to rotate the winding drum over which it passes and,consequently, effect movement of the plow connected with said drum.

The casing of the winding drum is provided with a tubular extension 46in which is slidably mounted a locking rod 47 which is constructed toautomatically engage the drum and hold the same against rotation when aplow has been raised. The rear end of the locking rod is pivoted to alever 48 which is suspended upon one of the transverse bars 4 of themain frame and is disposed within convenient reach of the personoccupying the seat 17' so that, if the said lever be swung rearwardly,the locking rod will be withdrawn from engagement with the winding drumand the weight of the plow will then cause the same to descend. Aplurality of small rollers 49 are provided at the front edge of theplatform 16 to prevent frictional wear between the said edge of theplatform and the lifting cables 33, as will be readil \r understood. Asteering head 50 is also provided near the operators seat and connectedwith a transverse shaft 51 to which are secured steering chains 52leading to the wheels (l so that the truck may be guided in the usualmanner.

A, cylindrical pulverizing drum or packer 53 is provided, and said drumis preferably formed of sections detaehably united and adapted to besecured to the axle 10 so as to rotate therewith. In rear of the packera transverse rod 54 carried by the main frame and Scrapers or lingersrise from the said rod and bear upon the packer so as to prevent dirtadhering thereto and thereby clogging or otherwise obstructing theoperation of the same. This rod 54 is also provided with a plurality ofhooks 56 from which are suspended one or more disk harrows 57 and dragharrows 58. Hoisting cables 59 are attached to said harrows and extendover guide pulleys G0 at the rear end of the main frame and thenceforwardly to suitable guides on the forward transverse bar 4 where theirfree ends are equipped with rings 61 so that the operator may raise orlower the harrows by pulling upon the proper hoisting cables. It will bereadily seen that as the machine is caused to travel forwardly over afield the plows will turn the soil, while the packer drum will pulverizeand pack the same and the harrows in turn act thereon so that the soilwill be placed in condition for planting.

The extension frame is secured to the main frame by couplings 62interposed between and detachably secured to the adjacent uprights 3 and8 so that, if it be desired to use a mowing machine or a. harvester, thecouplings may be detached and the extension frame then removed from themain frame. lVhen the extension frame is removed, the plows and themeans for raising and lowering the same will, of course, be alsoremoved, it being understood that the links are previously detached fromthe rod 2G and the cords 44 and levers 48 removed from the supportingbar 4, while the belt 38 is, of course, slipped out of engagement withthe pulley 37, The steering wheels will then be detached from theextension frame and' bolted to the lower side bars of the main' framebelow or immediately in advance of the platform and a shorter steeringhead 50 connected therewith. The harvester or mowing mechanism may thenhe readily secured to the liront end of the main frame and the machinedriven the traction Wheel. lf the plovvs, packer and harrovvs be removedand the steering Wheels placed under the platform or under the front endof the main frame, as described, the machine may be used as a tractionengine for general farm use. llt will he un dei-stood that the drivingshaft of the engine will be equipped with suitable pulleys so that thepower of the saine may be transmitted to threshers or other machinery. Acover 63 is preferably provided, which serves to house and protect theoperating mechanism, as indicated.

What ll claim is 1. An agricultural machine including a truck framehaving spaced uprights secured thereto and provided with tractionWheels, an extension forming a part ot the truck frame and provided Withrigidly united inclined and vertical uprights, steering Wheels I plows.suspended from the vtruck frame,

means mounted on the extension of the truck tra-Ine and operativelyconnected with the plows tor raising and lowering the latter, a draftdevice carried by said extension, and flexible draft elements forming aconnection between the draft device and plowe.

2. ln an agricultural machine, the combination of a main frame havinguprights at its front end, traction Wheels thereon, means on said lrameto actuate said traction wheels` an extension frame having uprights, andrigid couplings detachably secured to the uprights of the extensionframe and the uprights at the front end of the main trame.

lln testimony whereof l aflix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

VVlLLlAM R. JONES. [n a] Vtlitnesses.:

lt. A.. lllEwIS. l?. D. ELLIOTT.

